Secrets
by Partly
Summary: Eliot doesn't want to go to Eureka.


Sheriff Jack Carter pulled his jeep up behind a car parked over on the side of the road. Its hood was up and a lithe blonde leaned against the side, talking to someone working on the engine. A quick check showed it to be a rental with no flags, so he flipped on the electronic surveillance and headed over to the disabled car. Helping people was the part of the job Carter liked best, a small slice of normalcy in the crazy that was Eureka.

"There's a town just down the road, Eliot," the blonde was saying.

"I'm not goin' there, Parker," came the growled response. "I'm too close as it is."

Carter cleared his throat as he walked up. The blonde, Parker, spun to face him; her defensive stance setting off all of Carter's warning bells. He should have known normal was too much to hope for. "Anything I can do to help?"

Parker glanced toward her unseen companion. "I don't think so, _Sheriff_."

The stress on the word _sheriff_, brought the man, Eliot, around to the side of the car. Everything about Eliot scream 'dangerous' and Carter was suddenly feeling very exposed. Neither of them did anything overtly threatening, though, so Carter just smiled and tried to project 'harmless', channeling as much 'Andy Griffith' down home charm as possible.

"Afternoon, Sheriff." Eliot wiped greasy hands on his pants as he spoke.

"Eureka's got the best mechanic in the state, " Carter said. "I'm sure Henry could fix you up good as new."

"Thanks, but no." Eliot spun and slammed the hood shut. "We'll be good for a hundred miles or so on my fix."

Carter nodded politely and did a quick survey of the car. He couldn't see a reason to detain them. To be honest, Carter was happy to get them out of his jurisdiction before that changed. "Take care, then," he said, taking a step back and clearly permitting them to go.

Then all hell broke loose. Three cars screamed down the road, screeching to a halt around them. A GD helicopter appeared over the trees, hovering above them. Before the lead car had even stopped, Jo jumped out, gun ready and pointed at Eliot.

Eliot hadn't moved a muscle since the first sign of trouble. Parker looked confused and obviously was letting Eliot take the lead. Carter fought to keep up.

"Don't move, Spencer." Jo didn't even look at Carter. "Or better yet, do move." She racked a round into the chamber of the shotgun she carried.

"Deputy Lupo," was Eliot's drawled response, "I see we're picking up were we left off. Although this is a little extreme, even for you."

"Don't think you're just going to walk away this time." Jo moved closer and an entire GD TAC-team appeared out of the other vehicles.

Eliot tilted his head at her. "You think you can stop me?" He tensed as if preparing to take on the whole squad.

"Whoa! Wait just a moment." Carter held up his hands. "Maybe someone should take the time to fill me in on what's happening here."

"He's a thief, Jack, and I'm arresting him."

"I didn't steal anything," Eliot said. "I merely returned the device to its rightful owner. It didn't belong to Global and Sheriff Cobb dropped the charges once the facts were known.

Jo growled. "Well, Cobb isn't Sheriff anymore."

"No, **I'm** Sheriff," Carter stepped between Jo and Eliot, "and no one is arresting anyone until I say so." He took a deep breath and continued. "Jo, is there an active warrant out on this man?"

Jo frowned. "None in the US."

Carter raised an eyebrow at that. "So, nothing in our jurisdiction then." He turned toward Eliot. "Perhaps you could tell us what you're doing here? Just to put everyone's mind at ease."

"There was a detour on Hwy. 2. If it were up to me, I wouldn't be within a hundred miles."

Jo snorted at that and Eliot shot her a look that would have gotten any other man killed.

Carter stepped between them. "I got notice on that detour this morning." He held up a hand to stop whatever argument Jo had. "How 'bout we search your car? If it's clean, you can go."

"Fine by me."

As the GD team did the search, Carter crossed over to Jo. She didn't lower the shotgun until he pushed the barrel down. "Is there something I should know?" At Jo's glare he held up his hands. "Fine, but we can't arrest him just because you're pissed at him."

The GD team leader crossed over to them. "The car's clean. Neither him nor the girl have any GD technology." He gave a signal and the TAC-team piled back into the cars and left.

"So we can go?" Eliot asked.

"I've got no reason to hold you," Carter said. When both Eliot and Jo continued to stare at each other, Carter took the shotgun from Jo and walked over to lean against the car next to Parker.

"You know what that's about?" he asked her.

"Not a clue."

Eliot and Jo took a step toward each other. For a second Carter thought they were going to kiss. Instead, Jo threw a series of punches that, much to Carter's surprise, Eliot managed to evade. Instead of hitting back, Eliot leaned in toward Jo and said something that Carter couldn't hear. This time Jo's slap landed solidly on his face. Then she spun, stalked to her car and left.

Eliot grinned at Carter as he walked back to the car, rubbing his cheek. "She hasn't changed."

Carter watched them drive off before returning to his jeep. He set Jo's shotgun in the backseat and wondered how dangerous it would be to push her to tell him what that was all about. After a second, he decided that he'd start out talking with Vincent at Café Diem. Eureka might be a top-secret government facility, but some secrets couldn't be kept.


End file.
